Published 6:00 pm, Wednesday, February 10, 2010

How many people in the world get to dress up like a monkey and fly across the stage?” Elley Arrington asked rhetorically.

Not many. Here and now, for Midland Community Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz,” the answer is two. Alex Fields is the other lucky monkey. Both were spending their Saturday morning at Cole Theatre learning how to fly.

“It was early this morning, but I didn’t care,” said Fields. “I get to fly.”

By this time they had been lifted off the stage and taught with varying degrees of success to land on their feet.

“It’s so much fun,” said Arrington, who used to wish as a child she could fly. “It’s kind of uncomfortable, but when you get in the air, it feels like you are really flying.”

“It took me a while at first to get the landing down so I wouldn’t land wrong,” said Alex. “But after I got it down, just like Elley said, it was fun and unexpected. Whenever we auditioned, we didn’t know we were going to get to fly.”

“It took about 45 minutes to actually get used to it,” Arrington said of learning to fly.

“That’s for me as well,” agreed Fields.

Arrington and Fields were selected as the flying monkeys because they were the lightest adult members of the cast, said Tim Jebsen, MCT’s executive director and director for the season’s opening musical.

“The Wizard of Oz,” adapted by Frank Gabrielson with music and lyrics of the MGM motion pictures score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg and background music by Herbert Stothart, is on stage at Cole Theatre, 2000 W. Wadley Ave., Feb. 12-14, 19-20, 25-27 and March 5-6. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday performances are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.

Tickets for non-members are $18 adults, $12 for 18 and younger, $15 seniors and $9 college students. Midland College students are admitted free. For reservations, call 570-4111. The musical marks the opening production of MCT’s 2010 season.

Saturday morning, Gralin Coffin, Paul Mangum and Robert Kuykendall were assisting in the lifts. The halter used in flying takes some getting used to and previous experience in teaching others to fly had taught them a truth they pointed out to Arrington and Fields.

“You’ll hurt in places you didn’t know you had to hurt.”

Seemingly undisturbed by the information, Arrington and Fields talked of getting something to eat before the cast rehearsal that afternoon.

As for flying, Arrington summed up what they both felt that morning: “It’s all good.”

All the Details

What: “The Wizard of Oz”

Where: Cole Theatre, 2000 W. Wadley Ave.

When: Feb. 12-14, 19-20, 25-27 and March 5-6. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday performances are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.

Tickets: non-members $18 adults, $12 for 18 and younger, $15 seniors and $9 college students. Midland College students free.

Reservations: call 570-4111.

Info: The musical marks the opening production of MCT’s 2010 season. Season memberships are on sale. “The Wizard of Oz” was adapted by Frank Gabrielson with music and lyrics of the MGM motion pictures score by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg and background music by Herbert Stothart.